Golf-meets-darts contest at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club

Before the start of this week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, Justin Rose, Ernie Els, Jason Dufner and Matteo Manassero took part in a golf-come-darts contest at the eco-conscious Saadiyat Beach Golf Club on the beautiful Saadiyat Island.

Each golfer partnered with an HSBC global sporting ambassador, with the two-man teams tasked with hitting 109-yard approaches onto the sixth green of the Gary Player-designed ocean-front course.

As per darts, the teams accrued points based on landing zones marked out by natural grass circling out from the pin. A hole-in-one scored 360 points, the five-feet ring 180 points and so on.

The four teams were each given six balls – three per competitor – with the team amassing the most points moving onto the final.

In the first semi-final, Rose and Tim Henman beat Dufner and former Welsh rugby star Jonathan Davies by a meagre 20 points, courtesy of Henman’s last-ditch 60 pointer.

“That was a special bit of fun before the tournament,” said Dufner. “Fair play to Tim, he stepped up when it counted.”

The other match wasn’t as close, with Manassero and lions scrum-half Gareth Edwards thrashing Els and former Scotland rugby captain Gavin Hastings 580-120.

In the final, Rose and Henman set a huge target on 620, with the Italian’s team falling 200 points short.

The exhibition match was also a great success for The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort – the new hotel partner of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship – which sits among the grassy fairways and inimitable sand dunes of Player’s sea-front masterpiece.

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“Championship week has got off to a flying start for the team at The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort,” said John Pelling, the hotel’s General Manager.

“The hotel’s world-class facilities and St. Regis bespoke service has received universal praise from all the players staying with us.”

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